Talbott Announces Class Of 2017

NEW HAVEN, Conn. - Yale men's squash coach Dave Talbott is excited about the quality of his incoming freshman class. Thomas Dembinsky (New Haven), Liam McClintock (Boston), and Kah Wah Cheong (Malaysia) will be joining the program this fall.

The three will have big shoes to fill. Four key players graduated - Captain Hywel Robinson, Kenneth Chan, Richard Dodd and Sam Haig. During their careers, these four were a key part of Yale's two Ivy Championships, two national second-place finishes and the ending of Trinity's 13-year, 252-match winning streak.

The three newcomers have had quality junior careers and bring a lot of talent and experience to the team, according to Talbott.

Dembinsky, known as TJ, is the first New Haven area player that has been recruited since Joe Cohen '02 and John Musto '91. Dembinsky learned his squash at the New Haven Lawn Club and the Brady Squash Center. Ranked No. 1 in the country after winning the Jr. National Championship in the U-13's and U-15's, he was a member of the U.S. Junior World Team that competed in Belgium (2011) and Qatar (2012). One of the top juniors in the country the last two years, Dembinsky won the New England Championship while representing Hopkins School as their No. 1 player for three years. He knows the Yale Courts well and will be a solid contributor to the top nine his first year, according to Talbott.

"Having a home grown talent is exciting for Yale, and playing for the Bulldogs is a dream come true for TJ," Talbott said.

McClintock attended Nobles School in Boston where he played No. 1 since his sophomore year. He won a number of junior tournaments throughout his career and has been ranked in the top five nationally in the U-19 for the past two years. McClintock has enjoyed much success at the Brady Squash Center including his two point loss in the semi-finals of the US Nationals to the eventual winner this past March in the U-19 division.

"A quick and talented shot maker, Liam is considered one of the rising talents in US Junior Squash," Talbott said. "He will make an immediate impact for us."

Cheong has been one of the very elite Malaysian Junior Players since a young age. Ranked No. 1 in Malaysia through the U-13 and U-15 divisions, Cheong has a lot of international experience. He won the Malaysian National Championships in the U-17's while attending school in Singapore. Cheong left Malaysia to attend Raffles Junior College in Singapore at age 16. During his time in Singapore, his opportunity to play international events was limited, but Cheong continued to work on his game on a daily basis. He is considered by many to be the most talented Malaysian junior player throughout his age groups, according to Talbott.

"Kah Wah will make a very significant impact on the Yale program his freshmen year," Talbott said. "Many who have followed his career think that he will become one of the best players in college squash over the next four years."